Residents Help Shape Better Care as Exemplar Health Care Publishes Service User Engagement Impact Report
Exemplar Health Care has published its 2025–26 Service User Engagement Impact Report, which highlights how people living in its homes are working in partnership with colleagues to directly shape care provision, influence decisions, and improve everyday experiences across the organisation.
This approach ensures that care provided across Exemplar Health Care homes is responsive and respectful, making a real difference to the lives of the people it supports.
From redesigning mealtime experiences and improving welcome packs, to developing resident-led newsletters and introducing first aid training, people living in Exemplar Health Care’s homes have made changes that make everyday life better for all across the organisation.
At the heart of this work is Exemplar Health Care’s growing network of 70 Service User Ambassadors, who represent the views of people living across the organisation’s homes, alongside six Regional Service User Ambassadors and three regional Service User Councils. Together, they help ensure lived experience directly influences how care is provided and how support develops across Exemplar Health Care’s homes.
Over the past year, ambassadors have taken on a wide range of roles, including supporting colleague recruitment, improving shared spaces, contributing to communications, mentoring fellow residents and helping shape activities and dining experiences. Their ideas and input have also been directly fed back through discussions with senior leaders through regular Service User Council meetings, ensuring the voices of people living in Exemplar Health Care’s homes are reflected in organisational decisions.
Speaking about the value of this approach, Sarah, who is an Ambassador at Woolston House in Warrington, said:
“I’m proud of being able to speak up for people, because there was no one there to do it for me when I first went into a care home. And being able to do that for them, I’m very proud.”
The report also evidences the positive impact Service User Ambassadors have had on everyday life at the homes. One area of focus was the mealtime experience, which is one of the most important parts of daily life in the home. Rather than making changes in isolation, Exemplar Health Care worked alongside Service User Councils to co-produce more personalised menus, with greater flexibility around dining and clearer food information. The evidence to date shows that locally developed changes have led to increased satisfaction scores and Exemplar Health Care is actively encouraging residents to share further feedback.
The report also highlights how people supported by Exemplar Health Care are empowered to actively get involved in activities that reflect their interests and build their confidence and independence. Over the last year alone, Exemplar Health Care’s ambassadors were the first people with lived experience to ever lead a presentation at the Nursing Live conference, developed the resident-led Exemplar Express newsletter, and took part in first aid training designed around their needs.
Regional Service User Ambassador Kelvin Kennerley, who lives at Wytham Lodge, said:
“Being a Service User Ambassador means the world to me. I’d normally hide away from things like this, but now, for the first time in my life, I feel like I have a purpose.
“My favourite part of the role is helping others speak up for themselves and making positive changes in our homes.”
Sophia Feurtado, Service User Engagement Manager at Exemplar Health Care, said:
“The people living in our homes are the experts in their own lives, so it’s only right that they help shape the way we provide care.
“This report shows what can happen when we move beyond simply asking for feedback and genuinely work alongside people to co-produce improvements. Whether that’s influencing mealtimes, welcoming new residents, supporting colleague recruitment or representing the voices of others through our Service User Ambassador programme, people are helping shape everyday life in our homes.
“By working in partnership with the people we support and by creating meaningful opportunities for them to influence decisions, we’re building services that reflect their experiences, priorities and ambitions, while also helping them exercise greater choice and control over the support they receive.”
